


wild iris

by ShowMeAHero



Series: how to expect the unexpected [2]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pregnancy, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:21:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23405194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShowMeAHero/pseuds/ShowMeAHero
Summary: Richie feels like he's supposed to be the one concerned about his own body and wellbeing, but he's not. Not really, anyways. He trusts his doctors to know what they're doing, and he trusts Eddie will stop him from doing anything particularly stupid, and the rest, as far as he's concerned, is out of his control.Things being out of his control has never stopped Eddie from worrying, though.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Series: how to expect the unexpected [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683577
Comments: 13
Kudos: 164





	wild iris

**Author's Note:**

> little scene to turn my one-shot into a series of one-shots!!!!!

**_november 24th, 2020_ **

* * *

Richie feels like he's supposed to be the one concerned about his own body and wellbeing, but he's not. Not really, anyways. He trusts his doctors to know what they're doing, and he trusts Eddie will stop him from doing anything particularly stupid, and the rest, as far as he's concerned, is out of his control.

Things being out of his control has never stopped Eddie from worrying, though. He spends most of the drive to Richie's OB-GYN panicking, telling Richie everything he's been reading in all of the baby books and how it does _not_ line up with what's going on with Richie _now._

"This can't be normal," Eddie says, when they pull into the parking lot outside the doctor's office and stop. For a moment, they just sit there; then, Eddie turns the car off, and the engine goes with it, tossing them into silence. Richie does _not_ thrive in silence.

"I'm sure it's fine," Richie says. He's been saying that a lot in the last few days as Eddie's been getting more and more anxious. "I'm a big guy. I'm gonna be a bigger guy when I'm pregnant, too, man."

"You look like you're about to _have_ this baby, Richie," Eddie points out sharply. He sighs, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. You're right. Everything's fine."

"It's fine," Richie repeats.

"But you can't be twelve weeks pregnant," Eddie says anyways. Richie sighs and drags himself out of the car. "Richie, you _can't._ Look at yourself!"

"Seen it," Richie replies. "Not impressed."

"That's not what I mean," Eddie calls after him. Richie's already made it halfway across the lot by the time Eddie locks the car and catches up with him. "Richie, stop, you know what's not what I meant."

"No, I don't," Richie grumbles, just because he wants to be petulant. Eddie catches him by the wrist by the time they make it to the steps leading up to the office's front door.

"I'm sorry," Eddie tells him earnestly. "I know I'm being a little— a little overprotective. I don't know what else I can do. I guess."

Richie lets Eddie gently kiss the corner of his mouth before he says, "I don't need you to solve anything. Or be a doctor, y'know, or anything like that. I just need you to be there for me. And the kid. Is all."

Eddie nods. After a beat, he leans up and kisses Richie's cheek. "I can do that."

"Good," Richie says, smiling. "Because everything's fine, so you're doing all this worrying for nothing."

* * *

Richie really can't process what his OB-GYN is telling him because he's too busy trying to understand the look on Eddie's face. He considers himself pretty well-versed in all of Eddie's expressions, but this particular brand of shock and pride and fear and excitement and confusion is something he's not sure he's ever seen before.

"Please say that again," Richie asks, without even thinking about it. He's not even sure he heard it right the first time.

Dr. Baker smiles at him. She's a lovely woman and a great OB-GYN, and she has a _little_ too much fun tormenting Eddie over the small things he freaks out over, so Richie likes her a _lot._

"I said you don't need to be concerned because this is normal for births with multiples," Dr. Baker says, still grinning. Eddie puts his hand over his eyes, the other hand dropping to dig his fingers into Richie's bare shoulder.

"He's having twins," Eddie says. Richie's heart _thuds_ hard in his chest. "Of _course_ he's having—"

"It's not that," Dr. Baker says. Eddie's hand falls from his face as she drags the monitor closer and points with her index finger. Her other hand moves the wand across Richie's abdomen, digging in a little bit to find whatever she's looking for. "Aha, see, right… There, see. Here is baby number one."

"Shit," Richie says. Eddie's hand slips down his arm to take his hand instead. Richie squeezes tight; Eddie squeezes back. Richie's mind is racing too quickly to process what's happening or land on any one coherent thought.

"And… Right here, we've got baby number two," Dr. Baker says, pointing out a second amorphous blob of shape that will supposedly become a baby. She moves again, then says, "And _there_ is baby number three."

 _"Holy_ shit," Richie says. He laughs, breathless, than looks up to Eddie. He squeezes his hand again before he says, "You were right, Eds, I _am_ too big to be twelve weeks pregnant— with _one_ kid—"

"Oh, my God," Eddie says. His voice is weak; when Richie actually focuses on his face, it's drained of color. His lips are _white._ Richie nervously looks to Dr. Baker.

"I think he's gonna pass out," Richie says. Eddie shakes his head jerkily, but Dr. Baker goes to him anyways and pushes him by the shoulder to sit down in the chair beside Richie. She gives him a cup of water from the sink; Eddie takes it, but he doesn't drink from it. He's just staring at the image frozen on the monitor.

"Are you okay?" Dr. Baker asks firmly. Eddie nods. "Can you look up at me?"

Eddie does as he's told, and it's when he's turning his face up that he makes eye contact with Richie. His face is clouded, but it clears in that moment, when they see each other.

"Are they all okay?" Eddie asks. He doesn't keep looking up; instead, his eyes stay trained on Richie. "Richie and the baby _— babies._ Are they okay, are they healthy?"

"As far as I can tell," Dr. Baker answers. Eddie's shoulders visibly relax and slump a little. She goes back to the wand and the monitor and shows Eddie again. "All right on track. Perfect size. A little on the small side, but that's to be expected. We'll just keep an eye on their development, but I don't see any reasons for concern right now." She smiles at Richie again and says, "You're doing a great job, Richie. You just keep doing what you're doing. Eddie, you keep helping him right along. Neither of you has to be concerned."

"Hear that, Eds?" Richie says. Eddie shakes his head, then drops his face into his hand.

"I said it special for you, Eddie," Dr. Baker says. She turns back to the monitor and says, "Now, we're not sure on the sex of any of them just yet, but we'll keep an eye on that. They're all in good positions, looking right on schedule… Do you want a printo—"

"Yes," Eddie says quickly, lifting his head. Richie stifles a laugh. He feels like he's possibly close to passing out, himself.

They're set up with their printouts and Richie's new prescriptions and their next appointments before they leave, and Richie makes it all the way to the car before he finally processes the information and starts to freak out.

"How am I going to— I can't even _hold_ three babies at once," Richie says, voice sounding uneven even to his own ears. His hands shake when he looks down at the printout with three curled little fetal shapes, labeled _A, B_ and _C,_ and those are his fucking _kids._ And they're _inside of his body._ "How am I— Where are they— What are we—"

"Hey, hey, shh, shush," Eddie says. His voice is fast, deep, and Richie turns into it. Eddie pries them apart just so he can lift the center console between them and pull Richie into his side. He just tries to get his heart rate back under control as Eddie strokes his back.

"I'm a little—" Richie says, then makes a waffling motion with one hand.

"I know," Eddie says. His voice rumbles through his chest where Richie has his ear pressed. "But, hey, know what?"

"What?" Richie asks. Eddie tips his face up for him with two fingers under his chin.

"She said you're doing an amazing job," Eddie says. "Perfect job. And we— We weren't expecting this, obviously fucking _not,_ but I can't think of anyone better suited to do this. I couldn't do a better job myself, Richie. I'm so— I'm so sorry this is happening and that you have no choice, but there's no question in my mind of whether or not you _can_ do this. You _can._ And I'll be here the whole time."

Richie nods, feeling the backs of his eyes burn as Eddie tugs him in to kiss again. Richie clings to him, just for a moment before releasing him.

"Can we go home?" Richie asks. Eddie looks him over, studying his face; he apparently evaluates him as fine enough, so he nods and starts the car.

Richie rolls down his window, but he doesn't move too far away from Eddie. He thinks about it all, the whole drive home. Having babies. Having _three_ babies at once. Having three babies at once with _Eddie Kaspbrak._ Having— Having three babies come out of his body _at once_ that are half-him and half-Eddie.

Eddie doesn't notice — or, at least, he doesn't look over at him — as Richie glances down and tugs his shirt up. Eddie had been right earlier, he _does_ look like he'd be about ready to give birth if he was pregnant with only one baby, but now that he knows he has three, he's fucking confused as to how it's going to work at all.

Without hesitation, he runs his hand over the swell of his belly. He looks at the ultrasound and tries to orient himself, tries to figure out where each of the babies are. Eddie pulls into their driveway while he's trying to do it, his palm cupping his belly.

"You okay?" Eddie asks. "Does it hurt? Does something hurt?"

"No," Richie says. He exhales, then looks up to Eddie. His heart's racing. "Holy shit."

Eddie leans over and kisses him again. "We're going to have three babies."

"Hey, whoa," Richie says. "Sorry, what the fuck is this _we_ business? _I_ will be having three babies. _You_ will be apologizing to me."

Eddie laughs and kisses him again. "Sorry, not sorry."

**Author's Note:**

> You can (and should!) come chat with me about this AU on Twitter at [@nicolelianesolo](https://twitter.com/nicolelianesolo) and/or on Tumblr at [andillwriteyouatragedy](http://andillwriteyouatragedy.tumblr.com/).


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